Archives for December 2016

Disclaimer: If you are ill, please consult your doctor for medical advice. I am not a doctor and I am writing from my own experience and research.

Runners are creatures of habit. We LOVE routines. This mostly works in our favor (determination, consistency, etc.), but there are situations when it can be our worst enemy. Running while sick can fall into that category.

Yesterday I had a very minor surgery where the doctors removed some cysts from my head. Fun times right? Like any seasoned runner, the first thing I asked the doctor post-OP was if I could run the following day. I imagine the doctor doesn’t hear that question very often. He advised me to see how I felt and go from there. Sounds reasonable right? But how do you determine the difference between an excuse or a legit concern?

Women’s Running posted an article in 2013 with a handy dandy flow chart that makes it easy to figure out if you should run or not.

I always ask my clients this, “does the illness pass the neck test?” If you are congested and that’s really it, go for a run! It can actually help clear you out and temporarily alleviate the discomfort. On the other hand, if you have been vomiting, have stomach issues, and/or muscle fatigue, skip it. Running while experiencing these issues could only make matters worse.

You might be thinking, “well there goes my training and I won’t meet my goal!” Well not so fast. There are other ways to train for running without actually running. Yeah…I am about to blow your mind people. Training encompasses so much than the physical aspect. There is mental training, nutrition, education, fashion…okay I threw that last one in there 😛